MUMBAI: A central GST (CGST) superintendent, accused of detaining a businessman for 18 hours and demanding a Rs 60 lakh bribe, was apprehended by the CBI last week following a dramatic chase near Oshiwara police station in the middle of the night.
The official, Sachin Gokulka, attempted to evade arrest by abandoning one of his aides—a consultant who allegedly received the bribe on Gokulka’s behalf—on the roadside. However, the consultant was quickly captured by the CBI team in pursuit.
In addition to Gokulka, the consultant and a chartered accountant (CA) were also arrested. An FIR has been lodged against two IRS officers, Additional Commissioner of CGST Deepak Kumar Sharma and Joint Commissioner Rahul Kumar, as well as three other CGST superintendents.
Rahul Kumar, who is currently stationed in another state but previously served in Mumbai, is accused of facilitating the bribe by coordinating with Sharma. The CBI has conducted searches at the premises of Sharma, the four superintendents, and the other two aides involved.
According to the complaint, on September 4, Gokulka and the other three superintendents—Nitin Kumar Gupta, Nikhil Agrawal, and Bijender Janawa—detained a Goregaon businessman for 18 hours. They threatened him with arrest unless he paid a bribe of Rs 60 lakh, reduced from the original demand of Rs 80 lakh, to resolve an issue involving a pharmaceutical company. The businessman was allegedly abused and slapped, and coerced into arranging Rs 30 lakh, which was to be delivered through hawala to CA Raj Aggarwal.
After receiving the initial amount, the CGST officials released the businessman but instructed him to arrange the remaining Rs 30 lakh by that evening for delivery to Aggarwal. The businessman approached the CBI, having only managed to gather Rs 20 lakh, which he gave to Aggarwal. Aggarwal was supposed to pass the money to consultant Abhisekh Mehta. When Mehta arrived to collect the money from the CA, he was intercepted by the CBI and revealed he was to hand over the bribe directly to Gokulka.
In the presence of CBI officials, Mehta contacted Gokulka, who instructed him to meet near Oshiwara police station for the bribe handover. The CBI set up a sting operation.
Gokulka, accompanied by two women, arrived at the location around 2:30 a.m. on September 6. He asked Mehta, who was waiting in another vehicle, to join him. As Mehta got into the car with the money, Gokulka became suspicious and sped away. After a brief chase, Gokulka instructed Mehta to exit the car with the money before fleeing. The CBI team, in pursuit, managed to capture Mehta and later trace Gokulka.
Gokulka, Aggarwal, and Mehta were presented in court on September 6 and were remanded into the CBI’s custody until Tuesday.
